19 July 2010 Singularity

HEXBajo, I keep waiting for the day that I'll get sick of fighting post-apocolpytic radiation-afflicted mutants - but it just hasn't happened yet.

BAJOToo right, Hex - I think as long as games keep delivering new and creative ways to lay waste to a decent variety of these creatures - I'll still be entertained.

HEXIndeed. Our latest foray into monster-mashing comes to us in the form of Singularity - a first person shooter that puts you in the shoes of Captain Nathaniel Renko - a US military operative sent by the government to investigate the abandoned Cold War-era research island of Katorga-12. A substance known as E99 has been developed upon in an attempt to create a new energy source - and much more. Here, your typical thriller elements begin to take over your screen - inexplicable flashes of the past, a host of mangled bodies, the token creepy child's playground... and some rather hideous meaty mutant things that try to kill you.

BAJOYou'll then find yourself somehow warped into the original 1950s version of the Soviet base - and time travel becomes a major theme of the game. Actions you perform in the past will often have various effects on the present - and, while these are all a pre-determined part of the story... you spend the rest of the game bouncing through time and it's cool to see these effects - however subtle.

HEXTime manipulation isn't restricted to story, though. The game starts as a pretty standard FPS - but later on, you'll pick up kind of power-glove thing called a TMD - which stands for 'Time Manipulation Device'. It's primary function is to manipulate objects in the world by either aging them - or using the power of TIME MANIPULATION to restore them to their original state. And this includes enemies - which I have to say is pretty awesome, that first moment you use your power-glove to age an enemy soldier into dust - or revert him into a mutant for an easier kill. Love that power-glove!

BAJOIt's called a 'TMD', Hex.

HEXWhatever.

BAJONow - if the look and design of the game seems a little reminiscent of games like Bioshock, to you - here's where things start to get very familiar, especially when you upgrade your gear. The TMD also uses blast charges to send enemies flying backwards... or, you can levitate items and send them hurling into baddies - useful as always on those red barrels. And later on you can also create little bubbles of frozen time - which help to get through tricky areas - but also in taking down those nasties that just don't want to die.

HEXI loved getting into swing of combining something like the TMD with regular gunplay in a fight. Co-ordinating the two was a lot of fun.

BAJOOne thing I have to say I am getting a little tired of, though, Hex - is random audio logs.

HEXWhat's wrong with audio-logs?!

BAJOI like the audio log technique very much, but seriously records these things and leaves them lying around the place, really? Did everyone at this base just GET a standard issue giant tape recorder when they joined?

HEXNawww, I love them for the story, Baj - although here, you kind of just have to hang out in the room until the recording has played out...

BAJOHeh yeah I was like 'What... what that? Ah nevermind' I just took off.

HEXThe game offers a few puzzle-elements as you go on - but not nearly enough. You know, I always get so excited when they start to present you with a problems to solve, like 'how do I fit through this door? Ah, I can wedge a crumpled crate under it, then use the time-manipulation to restore it to it's orginal state - lifting the door in the process.'

BAJOYeah, that was great - but... that was about as challenging as the problems got. In fact, the items within the world that you can use the TMD on were fairly limited. You spend a lot of time restoring stair cases so you can walk up them - or ammo crates for use.

HEXI did like the time-rifts, though. Using the TMD to stretch the portal so that you could travel between time periods... that was cool. I think my favourite part of the game was when I got to use the E99 seeker gun. It allows you to slow time down and then remotely control the bullet and steer and bend it through a room and into enemies. And they are obliterated in spectacular fashion with limbs exploding and and body parts flying off - it was GREAT.

BAJOYeah, there's a decent amount of gore in this game, this developer is quite the fan of the neck fountain

HEXQuite the fan. There are some really unexpected areas, too -where the E99-affected areas have caused mutations that take the form of suicidal exploding spiders - or some seriously harrowing boss fights - and these were a great break from the rest of the dilapidated-ruins-shooting-in-dark-corridors.

BAJOThe game offers two multiplayer modes as well - which I'm sure will appeal to a small community of players: both pitting humans against monsters. There's either a straight up team-death match, or a base-defending match. Honestly, this was just manic.

HEXYeah, it was the kind of thing where I found a match and then just was running around like a madwoman going 'where am I! What am I doing' the whole time while thing vomited on me, it was nuts. I didn't hate it but I wouldn't go back.

Final thoughts?

BAJOWell they could have taken the puzzle stuff furthur.. restoring stairs isn't challanging after you've done it more than once... but I did like the horror feel to the early game, like the area where you had NO ammo and these blind monsters were seeking you out so you had quietly creep past them... that stuff was great. It's a 7.5 from me.

HEXThere were some elements that were certainly familiar, sure - but I still had a great time with this. I thought they did a great job of storytelling, I was never bored and - while they could have pushed the time elements a bit more - I had a lot of fun with what was there. If you're a fan of games like Bioshock and System Shock 2 - you'll really get a kick out of this as well so I'm giving it an 8.5.